Oxidative Stress: Cause Mechanisms and Defense Agents

Although oxidation is a fundamental part of cellular metabolism and is involved in energy production, regulation of cell growth, and cell defense, there may be detrimental effects related to the aggression of proteins in the tissues, enzymes, and DNA. In this context, the objective of this work is to analyze the main mechanisms that cause oxidative stress, and the most relevant agents for antioxidant defense. This work means to be descriptive in nature. The descriptive research, according to Gil (2007) has as main objective the description of the characteristics of certain populations or phenomena, aiming to describe, explain, classify, and clarify the presented problem. The methodology was given through bibliographic research initially. The research was done with theoretical basis, being sketched arguments by the researcher on the subjects treated. It was concluded that the installation of oxidative stress occurs due to an imbalance between pro-oxidant and antioxidant factors, since the mechanisms of free radical generation occur in mitochondria and cytoplasm.